S. Raquel Ramos, PhD, MSN, MBA, FNYAM, FAHA, FAAN (She/Ella)

Associate Professor, Yale School of Nursing

Years as an ANAC member: 11

ANAC Committee: JANAC Editorial Board

What does Latinx AIDS Awareness Day mean to you? 

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day is a reminder of the ongoing impact of HIV on Latinx communities and the need for targeted, evidence-based prevention, testing, and care. As a clinician‑scientist focused on HIV and cardiovascular comorbidity, I view it as an opportunity to translate research into culturally salient interventions that improve testing uptake, linkage to care, and long‑term health outcomes for Latinx people living with HIV.

Why did you join the fight to end HIV/AIDS?

My work in HIV research and prevention in the mid‑2000s revealed the long‑term health consequences of HIV, and friends and others close to me were at risk or living with HIV and needed support. I chose to dedicate my work to reducing harm and improving outcomes in the Latinx community.

What words of wisdom might you pass on to those entering the field?

Conduct this work only if you are genuinely committed to working to improve the health and wellbeing of Latinx communities. Listen to and follow community priorities, center impact over prestige, and ensure your efforts give back and provide real value.

Matthew Luis Garcia, RN, ACRN (He/Him/His)

Montefiore Medical Center

Years as an ANAC member: 1 year

What does National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day mean to you?

It provides a forum and space for our unique experiences to be shared with one another. Sharing with people living with, affected by, caring for, and treating HIV while also honoring our Latinx brothers and sisters whom we've lost in the journey continues to bring awareness. It honors those who have passed and those who live on.

Why did you join the fight to end HIV/AIDS?

From a young age, I understood what HIV meant as I had family members living with and ultimately succumbing to the virus. Becoming a nurse ignited an advocacy for just and dignified care for all persons affected by HIV/AIDS. Now in my current role, I've made it my mission to raise awareness to our youth about HIV and how to prevent it.

What does ANAC mean to you?

It means having a professional camaraderie of nurses who have compassion and care deeply to seeing an end to HIV/AIDS. I am humbled and honored to be among this association.

Do you have a mentor or mentors who have been instrumental to your career and, if so, whom and how?

Yes, my mentor is Dr. Michelle Collins-Ogle. Having over 30 years of experience in treating HIV/AIDS, Dr. Collins-Ogle has taken me under her wing and has guided my professional nursing experience toward notable advancement. This mentorship was as unexpected as it was serendipitous and I am honored to have had the privilege to be guided by such a wonderful human being.